


We Really Have to Stop Crying in Cars

by NorwegianPunkFan



Category: The Young and the Restless
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Messa - Freeform, Teriah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 13:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17529602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorwegianPunkFan/pseuds/NorwegianPunkFan
Summary: Mariah and Tessa really have to stop crying in cars. But they won’t. Not when Mariah’s world is turned upside down by a horrifying discovery and Tessa is the only one who can give her comfort. How will Tessa react when it’s Mariah’s turn to seek forgiveness? And what will Mariah do to make things right?





	1. But it's kind of our thing now

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! This is my first fic, so I’d love to know what you all think. I wanted to highlight Tessa’s side of the blackmail situation, give some closure to the Canada story and let Mariah struggle with what she learns. Mariah is extra hard on herself here, but I thought that’d be true to character! Emotions are intense as usual for our lovely Teriah. Hope you like it.

“Wish me luck,” Tessa said, heading out for what felt like her 1,000th job interview. In reality, she’d only been on about a dozen and she had to claw her way through the door to even get them. The job market wasn’t so hot in Genoa City at the moment, and it’s not like Tessa’s resume was filled with glowing references. She couldn’t exactly put Devon or Sharon down if she wanted to get a position anywhere.

Despite the uphill battle, Tessa was choosing to remain hopeful. Mariah admired that about her. Tessa was never one to complain or blame other people for her problems. She just figured it out and got it done.

That mentality sometimes got Tessa in trouble – like when she resorted to felony blackmail without Mariah’s knowledge – but that was behind them now. Mariah loved Tessa too much to let the past hold them back. They were moving forward and that was all that mattered.

“Good luck.” Mariah smiled and gave Tessa a soft kiss to seal her new lucky streak. “You’ll do great.”

“Hope so. I’m helping Lola with that event she’s catering after my interview, but are we still on for dinner later?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Just text me when you're finished.” Mariah flashed the heartiest heart eyes you’ve ever seen. The mere mention of a date night was enough to make her expression turn downright luminous.

After they said their goodbyes, Tessa left to hopefully score a steady paycheck. Mariah, on the other hand, needed to keep her current one coming in. She knew it wouldn’t happen if she kept going in late, which she’d admittedly been doing more often since she made up with Tessa. It was far too tempting to stay cocooned in their cozy shoebox.

But Tessa was out the door early and now it was Mariah’s turn to follow suit. She unplugged her phone from its charger and dashed off to GC Buzz. When Mariah arrived, she suddenly realized she hadn’t been bombarded with the usual work-related messages. In the hurry and haze of a groggy morning, Mariah and Tessa had picked up each other’s phones by mistake.

Mariah shrugged it off and went about her business. Since she had a pretty packed day at the studio, she didn’t need to be attached to her phone anyway. The lack of distraction actually did Mariah some good. She ended up finishing earlier than usual, so she walked out to her car and decided to get in touch with Tessa about changing their plans.

Mariah figured they could squeeze in a movie before dinner. She still had a gift card from Christmas, so Tessa would put up less of a fight about her paying for the tickets. Mariah thought it sounded like the ideal evening, but there was one problem: she needed Tessa’s passcode to use her phone.

Since Tessa regularly interacted with her fugitive sister and Mariah was always scoring GC buzzworthy stories via email, it was wise to keep their phones locked up tight. They certainly weren’t trying to hide anything from each other. Not anymore. The topic of phone passcodes had just never come up.

Mariah considered going back inside and using the GC Buzz landline to make a call, but she’d just get sucked in again. Gossip never sleeps in Genoa City. One of the Newmans had probably committed another crime by now. Hilary would’ve had a field day if she’d been around to cover that family’s latest drama.

Instead, Mariah contemplated the alphanumeric keyboard as the car warmed up and ultimately took a shot in the dark. She felt a little vain for thinking Tessa might use “Mariah” as her custom password, but she didn’t mind as much when she was proven right. “Tessa, why are you like this?” Mariah chuckled over the adorable, but painfully obvious choice.

For someone who cracked the JT case and encrypted evidence as part of an elaborate plan, Tessa still made some ill-advised – okay, dumb – decisions. Like putting $230,000 in her closet and urging Mariah to get creative about rearranging it or using her girlfriend’s name as her passcode. 

That made Mariah feel better about Tessa’s screwups in a way. Deep down, Tessa was a lovable and sometimes scatterbrained sweetheart, not the criminal mastermind Mariah had once called her in the heat of the moment.

Mariah eventually determined it’d be easiest to text Lola. She could pass along a message for Tessa to meet her at the studio. Unlike Tessa, Lola always kept her phone on during these catering gigs. She wanted to be reachable in case of a client meltdown or another potential offer. Mariah just hoped Tessa was still helping Lola with cleanup right about now.

When Mariah clicked on Tessa’s texts and searched for Lola’s name, something else caught her eye. Mariah knew she shouldn’t snoop, but she couldn’t help it. As soon as she saw messages from an unknown number, she realized they had to be from those thugs. Thankfully, the last text was sent back in October. That put Mariah’s mind at ease, but it didn’t satisfy her curiosity.

Once Mariah tapped to see the exchange, her breath caught in her chest. She was horrified to find picture after picture of herself. Those brutes started watching Mariah’s every move in the final days of Tessa’s nightmare – the nightmare that drove her to blackmail. Tessa’s sister wasn’t spared either. Mariah saw a flood of Crystal pics, including some that appeared to be from a camera inside her own home.

The worst part was the threats, which had also intensified just before Tessa sent the blackmail letters. Tessa wasn’t kidding about the barrage of awful text messages. She got a slew of them, each one containing a new and frighteningly inventive way to kill Mariah and Crystal. How long they’d torture them, what murder weapons they’d use, how they’d dispose of their bodies…

Mariah practically shuddered as she realized just how far this could’ve gone. She knew things were dangerous, but THIS? This was sick and twisted. These goons were monsters who had to be stopped by any means necessary. If Tessa hadn’t acted fast, Mariah probably would’ve been dismembered and scattered across the state of Wisconsin.

Mariah suddenly felt queasy, partly because of the revolting murder plots she’d just read and partly because of how she’d treated Tessa during their early blowups. How could she have just brushed off this threat like it was nothing? Tessa was attacked! She was battered and bruised right inside Crimson Lights. And those vile texts… How could Mariah have berated Tessa when this is what she was up against?

Of course Tessa was willing to blackmail Nikki and the others. Mariah absolutely would’ve blackmailed if she thought it was her only option. Sharon would’ve done the same if she was backed into a corner like that. It was just money at the end of the day. It’s not like Tessa killed someone…or abducted a petrified girl, threatened her to the point of a breakdown and left her out in the freezing cold.

Tessa looked so small and traumatized when Mariah found her after the kidnapping. Like a lost child who’d been abandoned on the side of the road. The memory of a shivering, terrified Tessa was still excruciatingly vivid. Mariah was haunted by how Tessa had blamed herself for everything in the car. How she’d worried she had evil inside of her. There wasn’t an evil bone in Tessa’s body.

Mariah had spent so much time trying to make sense of the two Tessas, but there was only one. One loving, protective Tessa who made mistakes but had such a good heart. Yes, she lied… _a lot_. And Tessa kept lying after Mariah moved back in, but that was no worse that what Sharon and her posse had been doing ever since that night in the park. They were all experts at covering their own asses.

Mariah wished she’d never breathed a word about Tessa being the blackmailer. What had it accomplished? Tessa was tormented, ditched in the woods, lost her job and became a loathsome creature in Sharon’s eyes. Mariah had taken Tessa’s already outrageous problems and made them even worse. She’d punished Tessa for protecting the two people who mattered most to her.

And to think Mariah had played the martyr. Like she was doing Tessa some huge favor by forgiving her. Now that Mariah was looking at these texts – these deranged, disturbing texts – she felt she was the one who needed forgiveness. What if she’d actually dumped Tessa and let her leave town over this? What if she’d broken Tessa’s heart for saving her life?

Mariah’s stomach churned until she couldn’t take it anymore, so she flung the car door open and threw up in the GC Buzz parking lot. A grossed-out intern gawked as he strolled by with coffee for the after-hours crew, but Mariah was too nauseated to notice. She finished sputtering on the asphalt before shutting her door and holding her head in her hands. All she could do was silently beg the car to stop spinning.

Mariah finally leaned back against the headrest and looked over at Tessa’s phone, which she’d tossed in the passenger seat next to her. She knew she should stop, but she wondered what other secrets it might contain. If there might be something else to help her get inside Tessa’s thoughts. That brain of hers was always such a mystery.

Mariah wiped the corners of her mouth and reached for the phone hesitantly, scared to touch it now. It was like some newly lit fire that had burned the world as she knew it to the ground. But Mariah had to know more. She had to know everything. Mariah timidly curved her fingers around it and brought the screen toward her once again.

She checked the texts between Tessa and Crystal next. As expected, Mariah’s heart immediately shattered into a million pieces. She’d never felt so guilty in her entire life. She fully believed the guilt was going to rip her apart. This is how she’d die, Mariah thought. Death by guilt. The one method those thugs never dreamed up.

 

_I’m scared Tess_

_Don’t be i’ll protect u_

_They were following me after work again_

_It’ll be ok i promise_

_But how are u gonna get the money?_

_I have a plan. Mariah will hate me if she finds out but idk what else to do_

_U can’t risk it. I know how much u love her_

_I have to. I’d rather lose her like this than lose her like THAT. I can’t let anything happen to u either_

_I’m sorry Tess. Love u_

_Love u too_

Once the deed was done and Nikki caved in, Tessa had texted back to tell Crystal they were safe. It was over. Mariah was already crying by now, but a smile crept through when she saw a happier message. Tessa had sent pictures of their matching tattoos and gushed over how much she adored them. Even in the midst of the devastation Mariah was facing, the next texts sent her heart soaring higher.

 

_So…guess what?_

_What?_

_Mariah told me she loves me!_

_Ahhhhh so sweet when?_

_On Halloweeeeeeen_

_Did she just blurt it out?_

_Technically she carved it in a pumpkin but still. Meant just as much_

_Aww, i’m so happy for u Tess_

 

Mariah kept scrolling to the part she was dreading. The aftermath of their explosive fights.

 

_Crys can we talk? i need u_

_I’m here_

_I wrecked everything. Mariah hates me. My life has completely imploded and it’s all my fault_

_What happened?!_

_I did something to get rid of those thugs. Don’t ask what but it was something awful and i did it behind Mariah’s back_

_She found out?_

_Yes and i kept lying like an idiot. I’m just afraid of how much damage the truth would do. It could make this so much worse_

 

Mariah didn’t know if her heart could take any more, but she scrolled on anyway.

 

_Ugggghhhh Crystal, i’ve made a bigger mess if that’s even possible_

_How?_

_I told Mariah everything. The whole truth. Even about Noah_

_Shit_

_Shit is right. I just wanted to be real w her. I thought i could help her understand_

_But she didn’t?_

_No. Mariah must think i’m horrible now. And i am_

_No ur not. Just give her time Tessa. Maybe u can fix this_

……………………

_Well i think things are okay…maybe?_

_Yeah?_

_Mariah moved back in. She didn’t tell anyone about the thing i did so i feel better about that. I was worried_

_So she’s home that’s good right?_

_I guess_

_What do u mean?_

_She doesn’t look at me the same now. Like she’s here physically but idk something’s off_

_U can’t expect her to get over it just like that. It must’ve been pretty bad if things blew up like u say they did_

_Oh it was. And maybe ur right. I just miss her. The real her i mean_

……………………

_Turns out i was wrong. Mariah lied to me and i can’t blame her. It’s not like i was being honest w her either. I don’t think she loves me anymore. How could she after everything i put her through?_

_I’m here for u sis_

_Maybe i should just come live w u_

_U know i’d love that but is that what u really want?_

_What i really want is Mariah. She just doesn’t want me_

_U don’t know that for sure_

_She’s my whole world Crys. I don’t know how to live w out her now. I swear all i ever wanted to do was protect her. If she dumps me how can i just leave and never see her again?_ _I love her so much. She’s my Mariah_

 

Mariah erupted into sobs as she let the phone slip through her fingers and into her lap. Tessa loved her. Truly _loved_ her. More than anyone Mariah had ever known. Their souls were connected on some deep level that Mariah couldn’t even wrap her head around. She finally had the real love she’d craved for as long as she could remember…and she’d almost thrown it all away.

Mariah gripped the steering wheel and leaned forward against it, slowly letting her sobs become whimpers. She tried steadying her breathing to avoid a full-blown panic attack. She was equal parts furious with herself and distraught over nearly destroying her own chance at happiness with Tessa. _Her_ Tessa.

Suddenly, a knock at the car window jolted Mariah’s head up. A grinning Tessa waved enthusiastically as Mariah sat there in a daze.

“Hey, you! Are you done already? The guests cleared out at Lola’s thing pretty fast, so I thought I’d just catch you before you left work.” As Tessa took a closer look through the glass, she could tell Mariah had been crying. “Are you okay?”

“No. Will you get in?” Mariah wiped sniffles with her sleeve as she popped the lock. Tessa scurried around to the other side of the car and slid in next to her.

“What’s wrong?” Tessa asked, reaching over to clasp Mariah’s hand.

“Everything.”

“You’ll have to be a little more specific.”

“I want to—I need to apologize. It’s just not enough. Where do I even start?”

“Did we have another fight I don’t know about or…” Tessa’s voice trailed off with a chuckle.

“No,” Mariah said, shaking her head emphatically and wiping away a falling tear. “I owe you an apology for the ones we already had.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the one who screwed up. You don’t have any reason to be sorry.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Mariah, no…you’re perfect.” Tessa pushed a strand of hair behind Mariah’s ear. “Beyond perfect.”

“Don’t say that. I’m not. Not at all.”

“You are to me. I don’t deserve you and I never will.”

“Please don’t say that either.”

“Okay, what’s going on?” Tessa shifted in her seat, her tone turning more serious. “Just talk to me.”

“First of all, I guess I should apologize for breaking into your phone.”

“Is that what you’re worried about?” Tessa asked with a reassuring smile. “I don’t care. Really. Whatever. It’s fine.” She dismissed the intrusion with a wave of her hand.

“I read your texts. The ones from those thugs. And yours to Crystal.”

“Oh.”

“I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy. I was just going to text Lola, but then…” Mariah looked down and fiddled with her thumb.

“No, it’s okay. I don't want to keep any more secrets. It’s just—I hated the idea of you seeing those threats. They were…intense. And after it was all over, I didn’t see the point in dragging everything up again. I only saved them to have some kind of record in case things went wrong. I’m so sorry you had to see all that.”

“Please stop.” Tears were filling Mariah’s eyes once more.

“Stop what?”

“Stop apologizing. Stop saying you’re sorry when I’m the one who treated you like a selfish criminal.”

“But you had every right to feel that way. I blackmailed your mom! I still don’t know how you ever forgave me. And then all the lies…I mean it when I say don’t deserve y—"

“NO!”

Tessa’s mouth fell open slightly, surprised by the forcefulness of Mariah’s response.

“Don’t say that again,” Mariah said, reaching over to grab Tessa’s face frantically. “Don’t you _ever_ say that. You deserve all the love in the world. You are so sweet and caring and special…and your heart is so gentle and beautiful…” Mariah’s voice cracked as her emotions poured out. “And I almost let you go. How could I ever…I’m so sorry. I’m just so sorry.”

Mariah dove in for urgent kisses, capturing Tessa’s lips again and again. She was dying to convey even an ounce of what she was feeling. Mariah eventually rested their foreheads together, her hands still clutching Tessa desperately just under her ears. “Please forgive me,” she whispered. “ _Please._ I’m so sorry.”

“Mariah…” Tessa pulled back and reached up to take Mariah’s hands in her own. She gave them a quick kiss before lowering them. “You _have_ to stop beating yourself up. You’ve been doing too much of that lately. First with all the Victor stuff and now this. It’s ridiculous. You’re the best person I know.”

“That’s only because everyone else in this town has been so crappy to you.”

“When you do crappy things, you get treated like crap. That’s how life works. I don’t even know why you would be with someone as terrible as me, but I’m glad you are.”

“Tessa,” Mariah said with a sigh. “You can’t keep thinking like that. It’s mostly my fault you feel that way.” She slipped free from Tessa’s grip to run her fingers through her hair in frustration.

“Not true. I know the kind of person I am. You have nothing to do with it.”

“Do you hate yourself?” Mariah blurted out, catching Tessa off guard.

Tessa couldn’t look Mariah in the eye anymore, so she turned to stare out the window. “Yes,” Tessa said after a moment, her gaze drifting toward the sunset in the distance. “I’m trying to be more honest, so yeah. I do.” Tessa looked back at Mariah with tears threatening to spill.

The sight alone was enough to push Mariah over the edge. She broke into sobs again, triggering an immediate a reaction from Tessa.

“Mariah…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Tessa extended her arms to pull Mariah into a warm embrace.

A bawling Mariah buried her face in Tessa’s neck, inhaling familiar perfume and letting silky dark locks brush against her. “You’re doing it again. Please stop apologizing,” Mariah choked out, her voice weak and muffled against the top of Tessa’s scarf.

“Force of habit,” Tessa said as she tightened the hug.

“You’re wonderful. No, wonderful can’t even begin to cover it. I don’t want you to hate yourself because of me or anyone else.”

“I’ll work on that, okay? And you work on cutting yourself some slack. Deal?” Tessa lifted Mariah’s chin so their eyes could meet.

“But I was so hard on you after you came clean about everything. I didn’t even tell Nikki you had a good reason for demanding money. But now that I’ve seen those texts…the pressure you were under, especially right before…I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

“Now _you_ have to stop apologizing. We’re past all that, aren’t we? I mean, things are good between us…right?”

“More than good. If you can forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

“Just please say you will. I need you to say it.” Mariah looked like she might explode into another weeping fit.

“All right, Mariah. All right,” Tessa said soothingly. She played with a couple of stray auburn curls. “We’ll forgive each other then. And maybe ourselves, too. Okay?”

Mariah nodded before Tessa caressed cool, wet lips, still slightly salty from Mariah’s tears. When Tessa broke the kiss, she held Mariah close for a while. They both knew some cuddling was necessary.

Tessa started humming some catchy tune – one Mariah wasn’t familiar with. An original song still in progress, Mariah figured. She just basked in feeling loved and let comfort wash over her. When Mariah was in Tessa’s arms, she felt better about the world in general.

“Mariah?” Tessa asked softly after who knows how long.

“Yeah?”

“We really have to stop crying in cars.”

“But it’s kind of our thing now.”

“Why does our thing have to be so emotionally draining?” Tessa asked with a laugh. “We should pick another thing.”

“You’re right. Sorry I’ve been such a mess,” Mariah said, adjusting to look at Tessa.

“Hey, you can be a mess anytime you want. You’re _my_ mess. A very beautiful one.” Tessa traced the side of Mariah’s face tenderly. “ _I love you_.” Her declaration dripped with so much sincerity that Mariah thought her heart might burst right out of her chest.

“I love you, too.” And she did. Mariah had never really loved anyone else.

“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Tessa said, gesturing wildly. “Forget dinner out. I’ll swing by and get some Chinese at that place you like. You can meet me back home, and we’ll make fun of some sappy, cringeworthy movie under your ugly green blanket…what do you say?”

“That sounds perfect, but not yet.” An idea flickered in Mariah’s still shimmering eyes. A flash of determination. She reached down to shift into reverse as Tessa looked on suspiciously.

“Wait, what about my car?”

“We’ll come back for it later. There’s something I have to do, and I want you with me.”

Tessa buckled her seatbelt, wondering what Mariah was up to. “Where are we going?”

“To fix a petty problem that’s gone on long enough.”


	2. As real as it gets

As Mariah pulled up to the cottage, Tessa once again tried to talk her out of this. She’d spent the last 10 minutes attempting to convince Mariah that rehashing things with Sharon would only end in disaster. Sharon had finally agreed to coexist for Mariah’s sake. Toleration was the best Tessa could hope for, and she didn’t want to rock the boat.

“Mariah, I’m begging you. _Please_ just turn the car around,” Tessa said, nearly trembling with anxiety.

“She needs to know what I know. I want her to see this from your perspective.”

“Sharon already knows! She was there after I was attacked. Some stupid texts aren’t going to make a difference. If anything, they’ll make this worse.”

“They aren’t just ‘stupid texts,’ Tessa. Sharon was like three days away from picking out another gravestone to put by Cassie’s.”

“Well, I wouldn’t phrase it like that to your mom…”

“I won’t obviously, but it’s true. Lives were at stake. Yours...Crystal’s…mine...”

“But that’s my fault. It’s because I came back here.”

“And you did that for me. Because we love each other. Sharon needs to get with the program and she’s going to. Tonight. Right now.” Mariah took her key out of the ignition and unclicked her seatbelt.

“I _really_ don’t think pointing out I almost got you killed is going to help. And things are sort of okay with Sharon now! Can’t coexisting be good enough?”

“No. No, it can’t. I’m sorry, but there’s just no reason for that.” Mariah stepped out of the car and quickly shut her door. She peered in through the windshield at Tessa, arms folded and not budging from the passenger side.

“Are you coming or not?”

Tessa exhaled deeply, unbuckled and stomped to meet Mariah at front of the car. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know.” Mariah smirked and planted a peck as they headed for the front porch. She gave the door a slight knock when she opened it. “Sharon? Anybody home?”

It wasn’t long until Sharon emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “Oh, Mariah! I didn’t—” Her face fell as she spotted the disdained “vermin” next to her daughter.

“Tessa,” Sharon said coolly. “What, uh, what brings you _both_ by?” A forced smile formed on Sharon’s lips, but it didn’t even come close to reaching her eyes.

“Cut the crap, Mom. This coexisting thing isn’t going to work for me.”

“Mariah, I thought I was being very generous. I told you where I stand and I’m not changing my mind. Tessa is a liar. She’s just going to hurt you again. I won’t apologize for thinking the worst of her after everything she’s done.”

“You _should_ apologize. And maybe you will after you see this.” Mariah pulled up Tessa’s text exchange with the thugs and passed the phone to Sharon, who took it cautiously.

“What am I looking at?”

“The threat Tessa was facing. You remember that, don’t you? Just in case, let me refresh your memory. Tessa was beaten in _your_ coffeehouse by one of the thugs demanding money. This is what they were going to do to me.”

Sharon scrolled through, turning pale at the sight of the gruesome details. She slowly lowered herself to the sofa, phone still glued to her hands. “This is…horrible.”

“Of course it is,” Mariah said as she sat down next to her mother. She put her elbows on her knees and leaned in for emphasis. “Because Tessa wouldn’t resort to something so drastic if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. She didn’t blackmail you guys because she was greedy or cruel. These people were getting impatient. You can see how far they went in those last few days. Tessa had to do something.”

“And these texts…they’re real?” Sharon asked, glancing up at Mariah for confirmation.

“Are you serious right now? Are you actually going to accuse Tessa of sending herself fake text messages? With those kinds of threats?”

“We both know what she’s capable of.”

Mariah leapt off the sofa instantly, seething and ready to defend her girl’s honor. Tessa stood motionless by the door, secretly thinking it was way past hot. She put a pin in that for later.

“Honestly, Sharon…what is it going to take for you? Do I have to give a freaking PowerPoint presentation on how crazy these guys were? Write a how-to murder book with all the tactics they came up with? _100 Ways to Kill Mariah Copeland._ We’ve got the first draft right here.”

“Fine. You’re right. No matter how I feel about Tessa, I don’t think she could write such disgusting things about you and her sister.”

“Thank you. _Finally_.”

“But that doesn’t mean all is forgiven, Mariah. Tessa has brought nothing but danger and drama to your life. Not to mention she lied to you over and over again. About your journal, the blackmail, the thumb drive, the teddy bear…even about giving the money to charity. It was despicable.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Mariah noticed Tessa’s head sinking in shame. It was no wonder Tessa hated herself. Nobody ever cut her a break. They were too busy being lying hypocrites. Mariah was beginning to think it was a mistake to bring Tessa with her for this, but it was too late now.

“So she lied. So what? I lied to her, too. And you lied to me. And you lied to Nick. And what about your good friend, Rey? You lie to the lead detective on the JT case every damn day.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it? Because I don’t think so. You, Nikki, Victoria, Phyllis…you’re all _liars_. Why should you get a pass and not Tessa?”

“We made a pact, Mariah!” Sharon shouted, rising to her feet again. “Nikki didn’t deserve to go to prison when she was just protecting her daughter!”

“And Tessa was just protecting her sister! And me! These thugs were every bit as dangerous as JT was that night. Why can’t you even try to understand?”

“I understand that you could’ve died because of her! Am I supposed to thank her for that?”

“Tessa had no way of knowing this would spiral out of control! When you helped bury JT’s body, did you expect it to snowball into the hell you’ve all been dealing with?”

“Mariah, I—”

“She did what she had to do. You of all people should know what that’s like.”

Sharon sighed and looked over at Tessa, who had started to cry.

“I’m sorry,” Tessa said, barely squeaking out the words. “I know I shouldn’t have come back and put Mariah at risk. I never would’ve done it if I’d known they would take it that far. It was selfish, but I…I love her. I couldn’t imagine her not being in my life. With the blackmail and everything else...I was spinning out, Sharon. I didn’t know what to do. I just knew I had to protect Mariah…for both of us.”

Sharon plopped back on the sofa, defeated. Her body language gave Mariah a glimmer of hope.

“Tessa, come here,” Sharon said, moving a pillow to clear off the spot right next to her on the couch.

Tessa’s feet were frozen as she exchanged an uneasy glance with Mariah. The poor thing was like some skittish feral cat being coaxed over by a scary human with a milk saucer.

“It’s okay. I just want to talk.” Sharon kept her head down as she toyed with the fringe of the pillow she’d picked up.

A nervous Tessa took slow strides toward Sharon and joined her on the sofa. Hoping to provide some support, Mariah sat beside Tessa and clutched her hand tightly. They were in this together.

“I appreciate that you were trying to look out for my daughter. I don’t think you went about it in the right way, but I understand that these were extreme circumstances. And I can see that you care about Mariah…”

“I do,” Tessa said eagerly. “So much.”

“But I still have concerns, Tessa. If Mariah keeps going back to you for more lies, more pain…that’s not love; that’s an addiction. That’s a toxic habit that Mariah would need to break. And I know all couples go through things…have their ups and downs. I don’t expect you to be perfect, but I do expect you to be honest and start earning the trust Mariah’s giving you.”

“I will, I will. I promise.”

“Right now, those are just empty words. I can’t believe them yet, as much as I want to. It’s going to take time for me to have faith in you like Mariah does. But I’m willing to try.”

“Thank you,” Tessa said, her tears falling freely. “That means a lot to me.”

“And me." The waterworks had turned on for Mariah, too.

“If you want your barista job back…well, I guess you can have it," Sharon said. "On a trial basis, of course.”

“Really?” Tessa asked softly.

“To be honest, it’s been kind of a nightmare since I let you go. Lizzie can’t handle much more of this. I keep trying to train new baristas, but most of them barely last a week. Are you willing to work the early shift?”

“Yes! Definitely. Any shift. Every shift. Whatever you need.”

“I’ll see you bright and early then. I'll stop by before I head to the station and make sure you're all set.”

“Thank you, Sharon. Thank you _so much_. You won’t regret it. I won’t let you down.”

Sharon placed a hand over Mariah and Tessa’s intertwined fingers. She leaned closer, looking deep in Tessa’s remorseful eyes. “Please…just _don’t_ hurt my daughter, okay? That’s all I’m asking. Just love her like she loves you, and I think we can all be happy.”

Tessa instinctively lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Sharon, catching her by surprise. Mariah could only smile next to them. She knew once Sharon got one of Tessa’s signature hugs, she’d be done for. They were like a drug that cured anger, fear, sadness…whatever ailed you.

Tessa clung to Sharon like her life depended on it, so Sharon finally reached her arms around to hug back. “I’m so sorry,” Tessa breathed against her. “I was never close to my mom. She was never there for me, so…” Tessa paused trying to say what she wanted to say without actually saying it. “So I just want to fix this. I mean, I hope we can.”

When Tessa released Sharon from their embrace, Mariah saw the slight glistening in her mom’s eyes. She wasn’t going to call her out on it, but she knew her plan had worked. Maybe things weren’t perfect, but they were better. They were getting somewhere.

It was a relief to know Sharon didn’t hate Tessa anymore. She didn’t exactly love her either, but they seemed to be reentering the “like” zone. Mariah hoped it was the first step toward Tessa cutting out all that self-hatred. She deserved to see the good in herself. The good Mariah saw all the time.

After making plans to have dinner with Sharon the following week, Mariah and Tessa walked back to the car with lighter hearts. As soon as Mariah shut her door, she turned to buckle her seatbelt and was startled by Tessa’s searing lips. By the rush of a kiss that said, _Thank you. I love you. You’re everything to me._

As they pulled apart and stared into each other’s tear-filled eyes, one thing became abundantly clear. With a love this deep and true tying them together, Mariah and Tessa were never going to stop crying in cars. And why should they? All Mariah ever wanted was something real, and Tessa’s love… _that_ was as real as it gets.


End file.
